Darkened Light
by LordTicky
Summary: What if Sakura recieved the curse mark during the Chunin exams instead of Sasuke? Follows Sakura in her descent into darkness and Sasuke as he finally learns what it means to be a true leaf shinobi. Still a lot of Naruto though. Evil!Sakura, Okay!Sasuke, NarutoxTenten. Rated T for now but may change to M at some point in the future.
1. Chapter 1

**First chapter of my first story her on FF. Review as you please, and flamers are welcome. I use the heat to make the popcorn I eat while watching the anime. Big thanks to my temporary beta, InfiniteDragon! If you are not currently, than read his story The Ruins of Love's Legacy.**

**Note: I don't own Naruto. If I did, he wouldn't have 20 different versions of the Rasengan.**

_Deep within the Forest of Death, during the second phase of the Chunin exam, three young Genin face off against a superior opponent. One of them, a blond wearing an orange jumpsuit, is pinned to a tree by a kunai and is out cold. The other two face off against their opponent, the pink-haired one staring as the dark-haired one use a fire jutsu._

_**With Sakura**_

Sakura stood in horror as the sudden and blinding flash of the fire jutsu died down, revealing their assailants face. The grass nin's face was half burnt off, but it was… Odd. One half of the skin was burned off, but it seemed to have regular, healthy skin underneath. The other half of the Grass ninja's face hung loose, almost like a shed snake skin.

Their opponent laughed at their shocked and disgusted expressions. He paid particular attention to Sasuke, speaking towards the young Genin. "To be able to use the Sharingan at such a young age… You truly are the man that carries the Uchiha blood." Their opponent lifted up his face, letting them better see his scorched face and his voice takes on an odd tone. One that could only be described as… Hungry? "_Just as I thought… I want you!_**"**

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shouted, jumping over to her crush's side. "I had fun testing your powers… The grass nin said, lifting his hand to his hitae-ite. Suddenly, an enormous wave of killing intent spilled out, freezing Sasuke and Sakura in place. "You really are his brother…" The ninja in front of them said, moving his hand to show that the hidden grass symbol on his protector was changed to the one of the hidden sound village. "I sense power in your eyes that surpasses Itachi."

Sasuke focused on the ninja with a sudden, razor intensity. "WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Sasuke called out, fighting the ki pinning him in place with the rage brought up from hearing his brother's name.

"My name is Orochimaru." The sound nin said, taking the dropped heaven scroll that team 7 had been given. "If you want to see me again… Then survive and pass this exam." Without a single sign or motion, the scroll in Orochimaru's hands began to smolder and burn.

"Ah! The scroll!" Sakura cried in shock as it burst into flame.

"Of course, you'll also have defeat my kin, the Sound ninja trio." Orochimaru said, turning his hand and letting the ashes of the scroll fall onto the branch that he stood on. "What the hell are you talking about?!" Sakura shouted at the smirking ninja. "We never want to see your face again!"

"He he he… It won't go that way…" Orochimaru said, hands forming into a strange seal. Suddenly, the Sound ninjas neck stretched out, his head racing for Sasuke. Both Sakura and Sasuke stood, frozen in shock. But a single thought ran through Sakura's mind. _"Not Sasuke! Not Sasuke! NOT SASUKE!"_ Moving with a swiftness not normally seen by the young kunoichi, Sakura jumped and pushed Sasuke away, allowing Orochimaru's teeth to sink into her neck instead.

Orochimaru's eyes widened as he pulled his fangs out of Sakura's neck, his own neck pulled back to its normal position as Sakura clutched at her neck, ink seeming to swirl underneath her skin as a mark appeared on the skin between her fourth and fifth Cervical Vertebra. The symbol consisted of three slightly curved lines, spread out in a rip-like pattern.

"Ku ku ku… How interesting…" Orochimaru chuckled as Sakura fell to her knees. "I intended to mark Sasuke but perhaps this is for the best. An opponent for him to pit himself against." Orochimaru began sinking into the branch. "Even weak as she is, that girl will obtain great power with my mark. Defeat her and prove yourself worthy of the power I can bestow upon you!"

Sasuke could only stare as Orochimaru disappeared. He growled and punched the tree he was standing in as Sakura passed out. He hopped over to Naruto and pulled out the kunai pinning him to the tree and catching him before going over to collect Sakura as well. Burdened as he was, Sasuke could only move a short distance away before descending to the forest floor and putting his two teammates underneath the giant roots of one of the trees, briefly checking on them to ensure that they weren't currently dying. Afterwords, even with as tired as he was, Sasuke began to work around the area, setting up traps in case any more ninjas tried attacking them.

_**With Orochimaru**_

The snake Sannin smirked as he moved throughout the forest. He could feel his old apprentice, Anko, moving in on his position. He considered having a brief spar with her for old time's sake. Well, spar for him and killing attempt for her. He decided against it though. For all of his chuckling and bravado, Orochimaru was actually a bit disappointed. He hadn't expected the Kunoichi brat to get in his way. No, this had definitely put him in an off mood. Suppressing his chakra, Orochimaru veered away from his old apprentice's course, heading back to his temporary hideout.

Appearing out of the earth, Orochimaru didn't even bother to acknowledge Kidomaru and Tayuya who were on barrier duty. "You seem disappointed." Called a voice, the speaker stepping into the dim light of a single burning candle. "Kabuto…" Orochimaru hissed at his second. Kabuto flinched slightly and took a step back at the wave of killing intent that Orochimaru threw his way.

"Change of plans." Orochimaru said to his assistant. "I infected one of his teammates, the pink-haired weakling."

"Why? I thought you wanted the Uchiha to be your next body." Kabuto said, curious as his master walked over to a table and idly picked up a scroll and began reading it.

"A miss." The sannin said, grimacing in disgust. "His teammate managed to leap in front of me and take the bite instead. And with the face-swapping jutsu as well as the juinjutsu… I felt Jonin moving through the forest and had to preserve my strength just in case. Is this intelligence report recent?"

"Yes, it is." Kabuto said, picking up a separate scroll and holding it out. "Also, a message from Baki. His team has already entered the tower. He also informed us that he's going to arrange for five platoons worth of sand Jonin and Chunin to show up on the day of the invasion, as well as ten platoons of Genin."

"Good, good…" Orochimaru said absently, still reading. "Hm… Change of plans Kabuto."

"Sir?" The silver-haired ninja asked uncertainly.

"We will keep the Kazekage alive. I want a scapegoat, just in case."

Kabuto was stunned. Orochimaru was always filled with a cool confidence and more than a little arrogance. Covering his trail and arranging for a scapegoat was NOT his style. "But sir… Why?"

Orochimaru stared into the distance for a bit, the intelligence scroll having already been read and burned. "I having a feeling..." The snake sannin said carefully. "That this plan won't go well. I intend to remove myself from it as far as I can. It will still have my prints, but I can't help that. Now go, inform the sound trio to attack the Uchiha immediately. I want to see his strength tested."

"Yes, sir." Kabuto said, bowing and doing as he was told.

_**With Sasuke**_

Sasuke grunted as he sat down, finally resting after all of his work. He had set up a number of traps around the area, and now he was monitoring his two teammates. Naruto seemed to just be knocked out. Sasuke was going to allow him to rest for another hour before waking him. Much as he disliked admitting it, Naruto was an unpredictable powerhouse and Sasuke had a feeling he'd need that. Sakura on the other hand…

Sakura was shivering, with beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. He put a hand on her forehead. Feverish. Sighing, Sasuke dug a cloth out of the pouch on his waist and poured some of the water onto it before placing it on her head. Smiling a bit, he gently stroked her hair. He would deny it until the end of his days, or at least until his revenge on Itachi, but he was honestly really fond of the pink-haired Kunoichi.

"Well well… Isn't that sweet…" Said a gravelly voice behind Sasuke.

Sasuke whirled around, standing in front of him were three Genin, the same ones who had accosted their group at the beginning of the first examine. Their headbands indicating that they were from Otogakure, the Village Hidden in the Sound. The one that spoke was man with a heavily bandaged head with a strange metal device on his arm. To his right was a another man, with a hairdo eerily similar to Sasuke's, with the kanji for 'death' written on his shirt. And to the left, a girl with long black hair, but no otherwise distinguishing charecteristics.

"Dosu." The bandaged man said, indicating himself. "Zaku." Dosu said, pointing to the man on his right. "And Kin." Dosu finished, pointing to the girl on his left. "Lord Orochimaru ordered us to kill you. So it is fitting that you know the name of your killers."

With no other words, Zaku lifted up his hands, showing the holed bored through either palm. "**Zankūha!**" Zaku shouted, a blast of air coming out of his palm and heading straight towards Sasuke. Knowing that if he dodged his unconscious teammates would take the full brunt of his attack, Sasuke instead channeled chakra to his feet and braced himself. He grunted as the ball of air crashed into him. Sasuke could hear a few of his ribs crack, but thankfully his idea of sticking himself to the ground worked, making sure he didn't go crashing into his team.

Not missing a beat, Sasuke performed a quick flurry of seals. "**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu****!**" He shouted, taking a deep breath and releasing a fireball at the Sound team. Unfortunately, Sasuke was still tired from his fight with Orochimaru and what should have been a large fireball was instead much smaller, and also easily dodged as Dosu demonstrated, simply leaping over it.

"Not a bad jutsu twerp, but it's still not enough to catch us." Dosu said, rushing ahead at Sasuke. The Uchiha smiled, however. Dosu's visible eye widened as he saw Sasukes smirk and jumped back, but not quick enough to entirely avoid the giant stake that dropped down from the trees, a trap set off by Sasuskes "dodged" fireball.

The stake came crashing down, glancing off of Dosu's metal gauntlet, cracking it while sending him spiraling to the ground. "Impressive." Dosu grunted, picking himself up off the ground.

"What's the matter, Dosu, can't handle a half-dead twerp and his simple traps?" Zaku said, grinning as he got up from where he was sitting. "I can't believe Orochimaru-sama wanted us to fight you, you're just a pathetic bag of tricks." Zaku said, this time addressing Sasuke.

_Orochimaru!_ Sasuke thought, grabbing a kunai and readying himself into stance. Zaku charged him, a kunai of his own held in his hand. Taking a gamble, Sasuke threw his weapon at Zaku, who blasted it away with his strange jutsu. "Gotcha!" Zaku said, lunging forward with his kunai.

_CLANG!_

Sasuke blinked. Standing in front of him was a girl in a pink blouse with two large buns in her hair. "Who the fuck are you?! Zaku shouted angrily, jumping back and shifting into a peculiar stance, with both of us palms open and faced outward, revealing the two air tubes in his palms.

"The name's Tenten of Team Gai!" The kunoichi said, shifting into a battle-ready pose.

**Jutsu used:**

**Zankūha - Decapitating Airwaves**

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu - Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my little guppies! You have asked, and therefore I am delivering unto you a second chapter to Darkened Light! For those of you who read ahead, I will warn you that I took this oppurtunity to practice writing multiple viewpoints of a battle. I don't think it turned out well. This version is unedited due to my friend InfiniteDragon being busy. I will still take this oppurtunity to pimp out his story: The Ruins of Loves Legacy. Give it a read, it's awesome!**

**Naruto's not owned by me. Id've had him enlist Kurenai's help in placing a genjutsu on the Hokage monument so that all the faces looked like Naruto's if it was mine.**

_Ambushed by Orochimaru, Sakura took an attack meant for Sasuke, leaving her with a weird seal on her neck. Weakened, Sasuke fled with his two unconscious teammates for some much-needed recovery, only to be ambushed by the team from Sound. Now, help has come in the form of Tenten from Team Gai. Will that be enough to turn the tides?_

_**With Sasuke**_

Tenten glanced at Sasuke, a Wakizashi in her hand, blocking Dosu's kunai. "Go wake up your teammates!" She shouted, pushing forward with her sword, forcing Dosu to jump back.

Sasuke nodded, rushing towards Naruto, hoping that the blonde ninja would be easy enough to wake up.

"Not so fast!" Zaku shouted, shifting stance so that his hands were pointed towards Sasuke. "**Zankūha****!**" Great blades of slashing wind shoot out at Sasuke. Picking him off of the ground and slamming him into the tree. This had the effect of dropping him on top of the very ninja he was trying to wake up.

"Ramen!" Naruto shouted, bolting upright. This had the effect of causing everyone who knew the ninja to instantly sweatdrop. "W-What's going on?" Naruto asked, head darting around.

"No time for questions! We're fighting those sound ninja!" Sasuke shouted, pointing at the trio.

"R-Right!" Naruto said, forming his hands into the Ram seal. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Despite his disorientation, Naruto still managed to create close to fifty clones, surrounding the clearing.

Zaku smirked. "Not bad kid. Must take a lot to make so many clones. But those won't work against me." Holding out his hands, Zaku smiled as he activated his technique. "**Zankūkyokuha!**" With that shout came a mighty blast of chakra-enhanced wind, tearing branches off of tree and cutting gashes into the wood. Thanks to the devastating technique, all of Naruto's clones were instantly dispelled.

_**Earlier, With Tenten**_

Tenten grunted as she fell onto her side, Zaku's attack on Sasuke causing her to fall on her side. Quickly scrambling to her feet, Tenten uses her sword to redirect a punch from Dosu that would've otherwise caused her head to cave in.

"Gotcha!" Dosu said, voice triumphant. "**Kyōmeisen!**"

Tenten screamed as it felt like her eardrums were imploding. Barely holding onto consciousness, the kunoichi nonetheless falls onto the ground, this unlikely stroke of luck causing her to avoid Zaku's area attack.

Kin, who had thus far been holding back due to her specialty being genjutsu, was unfortunate enough to get hit directly by one of the blades of air. A gash instantly appeared on her stomach as she slammed into another nearby tree.

"Damn it Zaku!" Dosu shouted at his teammate. "We need her alive! Keep those kinds of attacks to yourself!"

Glaring at his leader, Zaku nevertheless puts his arms down, just in time for Naruto to tackle him.

"Dammit! Get this bloody little runt off of me!" Zaku shouted, rolling around as Naruto pummeled him with his undisciplined taijutsu style.

"Get over here you idiot!" Dosu said, stalking towards the pair. Suddenly Sasuke, who had somehow been forgotten in the brief but unusual melee, rushed at Dosu, kicking him up into the air. "**Shishi Rendan!**" Delivering a powerful kick, Sasuke used his basterdized version of the Front Lotus to slam Dosu into the ground at an incredible speed.

"Wow Sasuke! Never see you use that before! Looks kinda like Lee's- GAH!" Naruto, having been distracted by Sasuke's impromptu use of Lee's taijutsu style, finally gave Zaku enough leeway for the Sound nin to knock the blonde off of him.

"That's it you little shit! I'm going to blow you into atoms! **Zankū-** Gah!" Zaku screamed as, in the middle of doing his jutsu, his wrist was grabbed and squeezed with enough force that he heard the muscles crack. "W-What?" The dazed Sound Genin said, turning around and looking at Sakura, a purplish haze of foul chakra surrounding her and a bunch of lines mapping over her body, originating from a spot on her neck.

_**Earlier, in Sakura's sleeping subconscious…**_

_They were a day and a half out of Konoha when they ran into the demon brothers. Sakura froze when she saw Kakashi get cut in two. But it wouldn't matter though, would it? Her beloved Sasuke would save her… Except that he was lying on the ground, blood pouring from a kunai wound between his ribs. "N-Naruto!" Sakura screamed. Surely the dumb blonde could do something so that they could save Sasuke?_

_Except… Instead of the demon brothers, Naruto was facing Zabuza's clone. Naruto's forehead protector was underneath the missing-nin's foot and the blonde Genin was diving for it. Sasuke started forward, intent on stopping his idiot teammate while Sakura hung back. She had to guard the bridge builder… Right? With a swing of his sword, Zabuza repelled Naruto. Naruto landed, but something was wrong. A gash was on his chest, pouring blood. Except… It wasn't Naruto anymore._

_Sasuke lay on the bridge, senbon needles piercing every inch of his body. Nearby, Naruto was in the same state. Sakura turned to Kakashi, only to see Zabuza slash at him with his sword. The sword cut the Jonin deeply, not killing him instantly but there was no doubt about the wounds fatality._

"_Wh-What's going on?!" Sakura cried out. "N-None of this happened! All of these… Everything had turned out alright, not like this!"_

"_That's because this is what should have been." Said a voice behind Sakura._

_Sakura whipped her head around, and found herself face to face with… Herself. Except it wasn't quite her. This Sakura seemed more… Malevolent, tainted even. A dark aura surrounded her. Even her clothes seemed stained with malice, her red skirt seemed like blood made cloth, and even her bubblegum hair seemed to have a crimson tint to it._

"_Wh-Who are you?" Sakura asked nervously._

"_Still timid as hell I see." The dark Sakura said. "That's why you've always needed me. You're too weak to go on by yourself."_

"_Y-You haven't answered my question!" Sakura yelled._

"_Hmph. Well then, if it'll shut you up, I'm you Sakura. Your inner self. While you're groaning at Naruto's antics, I'm the one cheering him on. While you act all moody and depressed when Sasuke rejects you, I'm the one who makes sure your weak-ass self still takes care of itself." Inner Sakura smirked. "Without me, you'd be useless."_

"_O-Oh." Sakura said, surprised by the manifestation of her inner self, as well as its declarations of her weakness. "But still, what's wrong with these… Memories I guess? None of this happened!"_

"_It's what would have happened, or perhaps should have happened." Inner Sakura said. "When the demon brothers attacked, if Sasuke's aim had been off he would have been stabbed. When Naruto stupidly dived for his headband, if he had approached from a different angle he'd have been gutted by Zabuza's sword. And on the bridge, when Zabuza slashed Kakashi, if he'd cut even slightly deeper your sensei would've been either dead or crippled for life."_

"_So?! None of that happened! We all survived those situations!" Sakura said, her voice rising in her anger._

"_Through a combination of luck and skill. Sasuke's skill, Naruto's luck, and Kakashi's combination of both. But not you. To your team, you contribute nothing. Your luck's poor, your skills are abysmal, and even your smarts aren't going for anything anymore. Face it, you're nothing more than a pretty face. And not even that pretty of one."_

"_You're wrong!" Sakura said, her anger rising._

"_What's wrong bubblegum? Can't stand the truth?" Inner Sakura said, chuckling evilly. "Physically, you're weak. You only have average aim with kunai and shuriken, you only know the academy jutsu, and the only reason you have good chakra control is because you reserves are so weak it's pathetic."_

"_Shut up!" Sakura shouted, taking a swing at her inner self._

"_That's right Sakura, get mad at me. That's the only way you attain power. Get mad at me, get pissed off! Go blind with your fury!"_

_By this point, Sakura truly was blind with rage, her only goal was to punch to smug look off of her inner self's face. With her rage, Sakura felt a power flowing through her. She embraced it hungrily, not noticing it take hold of her mind, nor noticing the marks that appeared on her skin even as a steadily growing light engulfed her vision._

_**With the group**_

Naruto watched in silent fascination as Sakura suddenly appeared behind Zaku, grabbing his wrist before the Sound ninja could unleash his deadly jutsu. "Wow, thank Sakura! That was a close one!" Naruto said, scrambling to his feet and grinning. There was no response from the pink kunoichi. "S-Sakura?" Naruto asked, unnerved by the silence from his teammate.

Sakura still didn't respond, not with words anyway. Instead, a slow grin spread across her face as she slowly squeezed Zaku's wrists, listening to his bones grinding against each other before, with a casual squeeze, the pinkette breaks Zaku's wrists.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" Zaku cries, kneeling on the dirt, his broken wrists gently held to his body. "You bitch!" The Sound nin tries for a kick, but that it casually dodged by Sakura before the pinkette grabs him by the throat. Again, no words are uttered by her as she slowly begins to squeeze.

"Sakura! Enough!" Sasuke shouts.

Sakura ignores him, focusing on savoring the feeling of her kill before she feels a sudden, sharp pain at the back of her neck. Sakura tumbles forward and lands on the ground, unconscious, with Tenten standing over her.

"Sorry about your teammate." Tenten said, addressing Naruto and Sasuke. "But she had to be stopped."

"You did the right thing." Sasuke said with a grudging nod.

"Right! She would have killed that guy otherwise!" Naruto said, nodding in his agreement.

"Now then, I believe there's still one left." Tenten said, all three turning to face Dosu.

The bandaged Genin grunted in annoyance at how his teammates were so easily beaten. "What are you up to…" Dosu mutters to himself, wondering at what Orochimaru was playing at, putting a curse seal on that weak kunoichi. "I give up!" The bandaged ninja said, hoping that the trio before him would accept his surrender. Dosu takes out an Earth scroll and sets it on the ground. "I offer my scroll for me and my teammates safe retreat."

"Would you have accepted such an offering from us if our positions were reversed?" Sasuke asked coldly, clearly not accepting the offer.

Inwardly Dosu cursed as they rejected him out of hand. Thinking quickly, Dosu dashes forward and grabs Zaku, figuring that Kin was a lost cause. Teammate in hand, Dosu dashes off.

"Damn. He got away." Sasuke cursed as Naruto went up the wounded Kin. "This one's still alive!" Naruto called out, causing Sasuke and Tenten to dash to him. Sure enough, Kin was still alive. The attack she had been caught in had not cut as far as her teammates had thought.

"I know some first-aid." Tenten said, stepping forward and unsealing a large medical chest from a scroll. As she bandaged up Kin she took a glance at the scroll on the ground, abandoned by Dosu and temporarily forgotten. "My team already has both scrolls. If your team needs it, you can have it." Tenten then paused for a moment before digging through a pouch hanging from her side and pulling out a heaven scroll. "I ran into a weak team before coming here. I was originally going to save this for bartering if we ran into any stronger opponents, but I think you should take it and make sure that Sakura and this girl gets help, fast."

"Alright!" Naruto says, jumping up into the air in excitement. "That means we have both scrolls! We can head to the tower!"

Both Sasuke and Tenten sighed at the abundance of energy that Naruto still seemed to possess.

"Like I said, it's what's for the best." Tenten said, finishing up Kin's bandages before storing away her medical supplies. "She needs more help than just emergency first-aid. Are you able to carry her with you?"

"Yeah."

Surprisingly, it was Sasuke who spoke. "That bandaged one, Dosu, mentioned Orochimaru. We need to get her to a medic and then get someone from T&I to get whatever information from her that they can."

Naruto, though clearly unhappy by Sasuke's declaration, nodded his compliance at the necessity of the situation. Creating three shadow clones by accident, he had only meant to make two, Naruto popped the third clone before having the other two carefully pick up the wounded Kin and the unconscious Sakura. With a few farewells to Tenten, who had to depart and meet up with her team, Team 7 plus guest ran towards the tower at the center of the forest.

_**With Dosu**_

"I am sorry my lord, while we have tested the Uchiha and the… Other one as you ordered, Kin managed to get herself killed and we had to leave her body behind. Additionally, Zaku was wounded." Dosu reported, kneeling in front of Orochimaru, the Snake Sannin listening with interest, while also frowning slightly as his underling spoke.

"That is… Unfortunate. I need your team to pass to allow my continued presence in the village." Orochimaru said. With a snap of his fingers, Orochimaru summoned Kabuto. "Take Zaku and get him healed up enough to finish this little 'test'." Kabuto nodded and took Zaku, who was lying unconscious on the floor, before rushing away.

"But… Sir!" Dosu said, cringing as he spoke out of turn. "We would be disqualified for Kin dying!"

"Not to worry." Orochimaru said, chuckling. "The Kin that you've been fighting with was but a clone of the original. A failed experiment, but useful for infiltration."

Before he could continue speaking, a door behind Orochimaru's throne opened, and a distinctly feminine form stepped out, exuding an aura of power far beyond what Kin had.

"Hello." The figure said. "I am test subject #KG-M-001. Or, in simpler terms, I am the original Kin."

**Shitty cliffhanger, but I shall redeam myself next chapter. Now to do something I've seen a few other authors do and respond to some reviews!**

** Random Person: I responded to this in the reviews itself but I'm doing it here as well. YES, this story WILL go into Shippuden.**

** spartan593: The premise of my idea isn't wholly unique. I once read a story where Sakura was working with Orochimaru to kidnap Sasuke and that eventually spawned the idea of this fic. Too many more detils would contain spoilers, so I'll leave it at that.**

**To all of the others, thank you for your praise and encouragement! ALSO! While InfiniteDragon is a great man and a good friend, he's also a busy man who writes his own fanfiction in his free time. To that end, I would like to put out a call for anyone interested in becoming the beta reader for Darkened Light to send me a PM.**

**Jutsu used:**

****Zankūha** - Decapitating Airwaves**

**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu - Shadow Clone technique**

****Zankūkyokuha** - Extreme Decapitating Airwaves**

****Kyōmeisen** - Resonating Echo Drill**

****Shishi Rendan** - Lion Combo/Lions Barrage**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Sorry that this chapter's a bit short. Reason why's at the bottom.**

**I don't own Naruto. If I did he'dve stopped chasing Sakura ages ago.**

_With the help of Tenten, Team 7 managed to fight on equal terms with the Sound trio. That is, until Zaku managed to pin the blonde to the ground. Before the Sound ninja could unleash a killing attack, Sakura woke up, covered in a dark chakra. Knocking their teammate out to prevent her from killing Zaku, Dosu grabs his wounded teammate and runs, believing his other teammate dead. With their scroll of Earth left behind, Team 7 now makes for the tower with their unconscious teammate and their injured prisoner._

_**Forest of Death, Tower, Main Floor**_

"Finally made it…" Naruto gasped, gently setting down Sakura before collapsing onto the stone of the tower's main floor. Sasuke grunted, but didn't comment. The blonde had, after all, been carrying their teammate for miles without break while also dispensing shadow clones like they were candy to make sure their path was clear.

"Finally get tired dobe?" Sasuke asked mockingly, his own breath far from calm. Truth be told, he could barely keep up with Naruto and it was only his pride that kept him upright.

"Dream on teme! I just needed to catch my breath for a second!" Naruto said, jolting upright.

Sasuke just sighed and rubbed his forehead. _"Where does he get the energy?"_

Looking around, they noticed that there was no one around, along with no obvious instructions as to what to do.

"So what now?" Naruto asked, turning to nod at the shadow clone who had been carrying Kin as it walked in. Taking the wounded kunoichi from his clone, Naruto allowed it to dispel as he laid Kin on the floor next to Sakura.

"Can't you remember anything? The instructor told us not to open the scrolls, _until we got to the tower_." Sasuke said, rummaging through his pack until he took out the scrolls, tossing one to Naruto. "Meaning that we've got to open the scrolls to find out the next step."

"Exactly like I thought." Naruto said, nodding like he knew it all along when he clearly didn't.

"…Whatever. Just open yours along with me on the count of three." Sasuke said, holding out his scroll.

"Gotcha!" Naruto said, also holding the scroll out.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

As Sasuke said one, they both broke the seal of the scrolls, unfurling them in an instant.

"A sealing array?" Naruto said in confusion.

Sasuke's eyes widen at Naruto's words. "Naruto! Drop the scroll, now!"

Both boys drop the scrolls before jumping away, Naruto pulling out a kunai while Sasuke grabbed at some shuriken just as a large cloud of white smoke appeared over the two discarded scrolls. Naruto's kunai dropped to the ground, however, when he recognized the figure in the smoke.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said, rushing forward and happily hugging his old teacher. Sasuke put away his shuriken, but kept his guard up.

"Hey Naruto!" Iruka said, grinning broadly at his overly-energetic former student. "Congratulations on passing the second exam!"

"So we DID pass?" Sasuke asked, relaxing his guard.

"Yep! And may I say that I'm proud of all three… Of… You…" Iruka's smile faltered and turned into a frown as he beheld the unconscious Sakura. "What happened to Sakura? And who's this on the floor next to her?"

"We were attacked by a man claiming to be Orochimaru." Sasuke said quickly, interrupting Naruto before he could go on a confusing and probably ramen-fueled tangent.

"Orochimaru?!" Iruka exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah…" Naruto said, nodding his head in agreement. "He was really strong. He kept trying to get snakes to eat me and he used some kind of weird attack on Sakura, but it I think it was meant for Sasuke. When she woke up, she had a bunch of weird lines on her body and was going crazy so Tenten had to knock her out. He also hit me in the stomach with some kind of weird jutsu and my chakra's been feeling funny since."

Sasuke almost winced in pain at how Naruto described his irregular chakra flow as 'his chakra feeling funny'.

"Whatever Orochimaru did, it messed up Naruto's chakra flow. He's still able to make his shadow clones, but he's been unable to control the amount." Sasuke said, stepping forward.

Iruka was deeply troubled by these turn of events. "And what of the girl?" He asked, a grim look on his face.

"She's a kunoichi of the team from Sound. One of the more… Talkative members of the team revealed that they were ordered to attack us by Orochimaru." Sasuke said, once again taking the lead in the conversation since Naruto had been unconscious during that part of the exchange.

"Tenten gave her some first-aid and then passed her off to us since we had both scrolls." Naruto added.

Iruka nodded, curious as to why they kept mentioning Tenten, a kunoichi not of their team. But they had MUCH more serious problems at hand. "Sasuke, pick up Sakura. Naruto, you pick up the Sound girl. We're going to see the Hokage about this.

_**One hour later, temporary office**_

As soon as they arrived, the Hokage had a medical officer take Sakura to the medical wing of the tower before listening to Naruto and Sasuke's story.

"…And then I told Sasuke that it looked like it was a sealing array on the scrolls and he told me to drop them. Then Iruka came, we told him a short version of the story, and here we are." Naruto said, finishing up the story.

"I see…" Hiruzen said, sighing deeply. "So my old student is finally back…" Hiruzen looked into the distance in regret before turning to address the two genin and the chunin standing in front of him. "Iruka, while I know you would like to spend more time with your former students, I need you to go back to your duties. Sasuke, I recommend you find a room to relax in before the second test officially ends. Naruto, I would like you to remain. I need to continue speaking with you."

Iruka and Sasuke turn and leave, the former looking at Naruto with a hint of concern and the latter with a look of curiosity. What could the Hokage want with Naruto?

The duo waited before Hiruzen received an invisible signal from his hidden ANBU. Hiruzen activated his usual array of privacy and security seals before turning back to Naruto. "So you say that Orochimaru did something to your seal Naruto?"

"Well, I don't know exactly what he did Jiji." Naruto said. "He said 'Five-Pronged Seal' and then I felt really weak."

"I see…" Hiruzen took a puff of his ever-present pipe before releasing it with a sigh. "Naruto, do me a favor and lift up your shirt and channel some chakra."

"Sure thing Jiji!" Naruto said cheerfully, raising up his shirt and channeling some chakra. Hiruzen took note of the chakra flow, noticing how irregularly it flowed before examining the seal itself. Its usual spiral surrounded by eight prongs now had an overlying array of five seals.

"As I thought… He used a five pronged seal to interfere with your eight-pronged seal. Created a block in your chakra." Hiruzen said, examining the two seals.

"Uh… Whaddya mean by that jiji?" Naruto asked, confused.

Hiruzen sighed before standing up straight. His voiced changed from his usual resigned tone to one filled with authority. "Imagine that your natural chakra is like a river. Your original seal is like a stream feeding into the river, increasing its size slowly but steadily. Stably. This five pronged seal is like someone created a number of half-finished dams in that river. The water still flows through, but at a changing pace. Now substitute the water for chakra and that's why your chakra is so unstable right now."

"Right. I got it." Naruto said, nodding.

Hiruzen sighed at Naruto's obvious lie. "Well, it doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we find a way to- FIVE-PRONGED RELEASE!" Having kept Naruto distracted with his lecture, Hiruzen had channeled chakra to his fingertips before slamming his hand into Naruto's gut, releasing the five-pronged seal.

"OW! What the hell old man?!" Naruto yelled, rubbing his stomach. From behind him, there came an almost totally silent snicker. "And quit laughing Shika-San!"

Hiruzen sighed at Naruto's obvious ability. The kid had a gift to be able to detect the well-hidden ANBU operatives in his office. "I released the seal on you Naruto. Your chakra should flow normally now. I apologize for it hurting, but it was important that I do it while you were off guard."

"Hmmm… Ok…" Naruto said sullenly.

Hiruzen smiled at Naruto. "Go and get some rest Naruto. You might need it before long."

"Ok. I'll see you after the second test! Maybe we can get some ramen!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Ok Naruto. I'll take you to Ichiraku's after the test." Hiruzen said.

"Yatta!" Naruto shouted out gleefully, hugging Hiruzen before running out of the office.

"Always so excitable…" Hiruzen said, sitting down before picking up a scroll on the desk. "Now then, what should I do about this 'Kin'?"

**Hey guys! Again, sorry that this chapter's shorter than usual. I was going to do the prelim round in this chapter, but I decided to do those in a seperate chapter. And now to explain stuff! The seal techniques aren't bolded like other techniques since Fuinjutsu is fundamentally different from other jutsu. Plus, those are the only two 'out loud' Fuinjutsu techniques in the series. I think. I may need to re-watch the anime. Also, 'Shika' means 'Deer'. So when Naruto was growling at that ANBU he wasn't referring to anyone from the Nara family. Brings me to another point. Naruto's been evading ANBU for years due to his pranks. This has resulted in him being able to spot them wherever he goes in case he needs to run from them.**

**Still looking for a beta! Those interested please PM me!**

**And last but not least, I would like to extend a special thanks to LuckDuck, who wisely said that if you have enough time to read fanfiction, you have enough time to sign the petition to stop SOPA! Google 'Stop SOPA 2014' and click on the first link. We need all the help we can get!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Naruto. If I did, then Naruto would have been a hell of a lot better after his three year 'training' trip with Jaraiya.**

_Last time, on Dragonba- I mean Darkened Light. Naruto and Sasuke managed to get to the tower in the center of the Forest of Death. Opening up the two scrolls and summoning their old mentor Iruka, the pair told him (and later the Hokage) about Orochimaru's return. Concerned about his old teammate, and what he's done to Team 7, Hiruzen unseals the five pronged seal Orochimaru placed on Naruto and summons the council. Meanwhile, Kin Tsuchi finds herself waking up in an interrogation cell. What fate awaits her? Read on to find out._

_**Konoha holding cell**_

Kin groggily opens her eyes, before shutting them tightly. She was in a Konoha holding cell, deep under the earth. Here, the light was dim. But Kin was in a special cell designed to soften up prisoners before interrogation. Strategically placed rocks, whose surfaces were polished to a mirror-like shine, made is so that no matter where Kin looked, she was staring at bright points of light. The sound of water dripping reached her ears, accompanied by the sound of a slowly twirling gear. The sounds, both of them irregular, would grate on Kin's nerves and make it difficult to concentrate. The earth and rock underneath her were also irregular, dozens of different textures made it impossible to get comfortable. And the smell… Wet earth mixed with decay and the iron tint of blood. Kin was positive that if they ever served her food, it would likewise offend her taste in some way.

In short, Kin's cell was made to stimulate and aggravate all five of her senses. And while she didn't know it, cells like this also came equipped with chakra suppression seals. After all, it WAS designed to hold ninja. So why was it that Kin could still feel the sweet rush of her chakra through her pathways? Simple. She had been injured, rather badly in fact, during the fight between her team and Team 7. The rudimentary first aid rendered by Tenten wasn't enough to fully heal her, and if her chakra was suppressed it would make healing her for interrogation more difficult.

Therefore, Kin had been dumped in her cell with the belief that she would still be unconscious for a goodly amount of time while the ANBU sprinted to find the on-duty medic. This was where the hellish torture and experimentation Orochimaru had performed on all of his subjects came in handy.

Every ninja in the Village hidden in Sound had a crazy pain tolerance. And if they couldn't get up after Orochimaru's worst, than they were broken down for spare parts. Literally. Ninja in Otogakure quickly learned how to be quick on their recovery time.

Sitting up straight, eyes still tightly shut, Kin reviewed her situation. She was in an interrogation cell, alone, and presumably weaponless. She didn't have her chakra suppressed, but it didn't really do her any good with the large and still slightly bleeding wound on her stomach.

It was the work of mere moments for Kin to get free of her bindings, another legacy of life in Oto, and she began to pat herself down, seeing if there was perhaps anything left on her that she could use to escape. The short answer to that would have been no. Any weapon or tool that Kin had on her had been confiscated when she had been carried in. Even the emergency senbon that Kin kept tucked in the weave of her headband.

Kin stared forlornly at the hunk of metal in her hand. She was surprised that they let her keep it. Then again, it was probably another weapon in their interrogation arsenal. Having the prisoner reflect on the symbol of the place that got them into their current situation.

A few tears gathered in Kin's eyes as she clutched the metal headband tightly, though she refused to release them. She had been doomed from the start. Her earliest memories were of the underground labs and complexes that made up Otogakure. Deserting would have been suicide. Hell, Orochimaru's version of a 'graduation exam' was to hunt down attempted deserters and escaped test subjects. She had been poked and prodded, stabbed and beaten, and worse throughout all of her life. But until now, Kin had held on. The one thing Orochimaru had promised that Kin believed in was that if she could survive, she'd get power. Power to never be among the downtrodden again.

"_Some promise of power…"_ Kin thought angrily. _"All it got me is a fucking interrogation cell! I wish… I wish I had a senbon… Or a kunai… Something to pick the lock of this cell and let me escape!"_

Unbeknownst to Kin as she made her wish, she unconsciously channeled chakra into her metallic headband. Normally this would mean nothing. Chakra channeled into metal, or any substance really, would just make it stronger. In most cases anyways. In this case though? The metal of Kin's headband began to slowly melt, losing its previous form and adapting itself into the rough shape of a kunai. Of course, Kin didn't notice this until she tried wiping her eyes and came within a centimeter of stabbing her eyes out.

Kin stared blankly at the kunai in her hand. She didn't understand at all all how it could have gotten there. The captured kunoichi carefully tested the mysterious weapon in her hand. Its balance was horrible, so throwing it would be a bad idea. But it was sharp. It was also much thinner than a regular kunai, giving it a similar appearance to an oversized needle.

Kin shook her head roughly before gripping the kunai. She had no idea how this miracle had come her way, but she'd be damned it she screwed it up. Luckily for Kin, the same system of seals that would normally keep the door locked with a chakra code was tied in with the one that suppressed all chakra in the cell. Which meant that all that stood between Kin and freedom was a a large oak door, and a complicated metal lock. The lock, however, was no match for Kin's deft fingers. With an audible _'click'_, the lock released and the door swung open, much to the surprise of the ANBU medic and two accompanying guards on the other side.

"Of course… Fuck my life…" Kin sighed in defeat, head dropping as her curious kunai slipped out of her grip to land on the floor with a loud _'clang'_.

_**Three hours later, Hokage's office**_

"So she nearly escaped?" Hiruzen asked casually, examining the strange kunai that Kin had used in her attempt. To most, his voice sounded almost playful like an old grandpa commenting on how the weather was perfect for fishing. But Badger, a long-time member of the ANBU knew the hint of steel that lay behind Hiruzen's faintly amused words. There would be a reckoning if he wasn't answered quickly.

"Yes sir." Badger said tonelessly from his kneeling position on the floor. "We had to disable certain parts of the security in order to make sure that her healing and interrogation would proceed smoothly. It was believed that the severity of the wound would keep her out for awhile. And no guard was posted due to every available ANBU combing Training Ground 44 for additional traces of Orochimaru. However, we have no idea where the kunai came from. I had removed every weapon and tool from her personally. All she had left was the clothing on her back and the headband on her forehead."

"Headband…" Hiruzen mused, setting down the kunai to take a deep puff from his pipe. "Was her headband on her or near her when she tried escaping?"

"Er…" Badger said, stalling for time as he ransacked his memory. "No sir. All that was in the cell was a curious strip of cloth. And she didn't have the headband on her."

"I see." Hiruzen said, taking a deep breath while sitting up straighter. "For your negligence of security, Badger, I hereby remove you as squad captain of Anbu unit #23. You may continue to serve ANBU if you wish to. In addition, you are now the permanent guard of prisoner Kin Tsuchi. She is to NEVER leave your sight. Also, when the interrogations begin, get a blood sample and test it for kekkai genkai. I have a feeling that I know how she got this kunai."

"Hai." Badger said emotionlessly, though his relief was palpable. He had gotten of extremely light, all things considered. A swirl of leaves appeared as if out of nowhere, and when they disappeared so had Badger.

_**Temporary Hokage's office, Training Ground 44, 9 AM next day**_

Hiruzen sat in a temporary office set up in the tower in the middle of the Forest of Death. He had decided that since the second stage of the exams was scheduled to continue for another three days, he would keep a closer eye on the exams, and be nearby in case Orochimaru targeted any more of the genin.

"Lord Hokage." Said the kneeling ANBU in front of his desk. "I have arrived with the interrogation results of Kin Tsuchi."

"Already?" Hiruzen asked, an eyebrow raised as he looked up from a random report.

"She was… Surprisingly cooperative. All she had asked was to be moved out of her cell and into a secure room instead." Said the ANBU. "After a short period of rest she told us everything. Evidently, Orochimaru doesn't inspire much loyalty in his subjects."

"Interesting… Continue Parakeet." Hiruzen said, putting down the report in his hands and giving the ANBU his undivided attention.

"Ahem. Kin Tsuchi managed to reveal a number of Orocimaru's minor bases to us, and gave us rough coordinates to what she thinks is either one of his major bases or supply depots. She confirmed our intelligence reports that Orochimaru planned to launch an invasion on Konoha during the third task of the Chunin exams. She knows nothing of why Orochimaru wanted Sasuke Uchiha, only that they were ordered to attack him. She also knows of a number of Orochimaru's experiments, one of which ties in strongly with the medical checkup you ordered." ANBU Parakeet said, somehow getting everything out in a single breath.

Hiruzen smiled. That had been more than he was expecting. A lot more. Clearly, this Kin Tsuchi was intelligent and had gathered all of the information she could to stay one step ahead. It was a shame what would have to be done to her. "This is good news indeed. And what of the medical records? And this little tie-in that you mentioned?"

"It seems that whatever assumptions that led you to asking to perform a blood test were correct. Kin Tsuchi was found to be in possession of the **Jiton** bloodline." The Anbu reported. He held up the kunai that Kin had apparently made. "Chakra scans reveal some of her chakra still embedded in the metal. It is our current belief, as I'm sure was yours, that Kin Tsuchi made this in her attempt to escape. Later interrogation reveals that she was unaware of the bloodline and was just as confused by the kunai's appearance, making us believe that she awakened her bloodline while in the cell."

"Interesting…" Hiruzen said, toying with the papers on his desk. The **Jiton** was a rare kekkai genkai, with only five known recorded users. Of the five, the Sandaime and Yondaime Kazekages were the most prominent practitioners. "And what of the experimental tie-in?"

"Well sir…" Parakeet said, now fidgeting in place a little. "It seems that Orochimaru is in possession of cloning technology, though it is apparently imperfect."

"I… See…" Hiruzen said, now deep in thought. Orochimaru with cloning technology was bad. No, it wasn't bad. It was BAD. In his mad quest for immortality and jutsu, Orochimaru had acquired the DNA of some of the most prominent shinobi in history. Hiruzen shuddered at the thought of what Orochimaru could do with that kind of technology. He could unleash an army of Hashiramas and Madaras, make replacements for the worlds daimyos, and even switch out Kages!

"And how does this tie in with Ms. Tsuchi?" Hiruzen asked, rubbing his brow and wishing, far from the first time, that Minato hadn't died so that Hiruzen wouldn't have to deal with this.

"Well sir, according to Kin Tsuchi's testimony, she herself is a clone." Parakeet replied tonelessly.

Hiruzen just thumped his head on his desk, not giving a damn about maintaining appearances. _"Perfect, just perfect." _Hiruzen thought. _"First, Orochimaru discovers cloning. Then, he makes a human being with the __**Jiton**__ bloodline! It's only a matter of time before-"_

"However…" Parakeet continued, trying to act unfazed by his leader's silent breakdown.

"However?" Hiruzen asked, raising his head off of his desk in an attempt to regain his long-lost poise.

"Cloning of any sort would leave markers in the blood. Easily traceable if you know what to look for. It just so happens, our medics knew what to look for." Parakeet said smoothly. "And Kin Tsuchi has no such markers in her blood."

"Truly?" Hiruzen asked, relief spreading through him. "Is it possible then, that she lied about the cloning?"

"No sir." Parakeet denied, shattering Hiruzen's hopes. "It is my belief that she herself was the result of, for lack of a better term, a screw-up. Providing that she was cloned when she was a baby, it's possible that she and the clone were switched in some way. This would give her the belief that she was the clone, despite apparently being the original."

"I see." Hiruzen sighed heavily. "Leave both reports on my desk then. You are dismissed Parakeet."

"Hai." The ANBU replied, placing two scrolls on the desk.

Hiruzen sighed in defeat as he undid the privacy seals that he had put around the temporary office, the ones that prevented people from entering or exiting as well as eavesdropping. The ANBU disappeared in the standard Konoha leaf **Shunshin**, just as the doors burst open and Naruto walked in.

"Hey old man! I wanted to ask you about- gah!" Naruto got an accidental mouthful of leaves and spent a good minute spitting them out.

Hiruzen chuckled, glad for a bit of levity, chuckled at Naruto's antics, amazed as always by the blond Genin's sense of timing.

"Anyways! Old man! I wanted to ask you about Kin!" Naruto declared, pointing a finger at Hiruzen as he did so.

And now Hiruzen sighed, now amazed at Naruto's keen sense of circumstance.

"It's complicated Naruto." Hiruzen sighed, looking at the blond shinobi mournfully. "You must understand. She's an enemy shinobi who was part of a planned assault on the village. According to law, the most that she can expect is a thorough interrogation and a swift execution."

"What?! But… What?!" Naruto exclaimed, too shocked to speak. "But you can't do that! I mean, I know she attacked us, but she was coerced by that Orochimaru teme! Can't you do something jiji?!"

Again, Hiruzen sighed. Something that was becoming far too commonplace for him. "I can do nothing for her Naruto. I may technically be a dictator, but even I have to obey the laws, lest the village submit to chaos."

"B-But! But you're the Hokage!" Naruto exclaimed. "There has to be some kind of… Of… Special Hokage law or something you can invoke!"

Hiruzen eyed Naruto sadly. "Naruto, there is no law, bylaw, custom, act, or tradition that I can invoke to spare her life. I'm afraid that Kin Tsuchi is to be executed."

Naruto's mind was racing. He didn't know why, maybe it was his heroic nature, or maybe he had the feeling that Kin would be more important to the future than first impressions gave. "W-What about the War Spoils Act of the 2nd great war?" Naruto blurted out, naming the first reasonable thing that popped into his mind from endless conversations with Iruka.

Hiruzen froze and his eyes narrowed at Naruto. "How do you know about that Naruto?" Hiruzen asked calmly, but with an edge in his voice.

Naruto gulped, sweat pouring down his face as he recognized the 'serious tone'. "I-Iruka-sensei and me were talking at Ichiraku's and he was telling me stories about the wars and he mentioned it."

Hiruzen sighed once more, carefully holding his face in his hand. "And I take it that was the only time you ever heard of it?"

Naruto nodded furiously.

"And what did he actually tell you about it?" Hiruzen asked tiredly.

Naruto gulped as he wracked his memory. "S-Something about claiming the lives and properties of ninjas defeated in a wartime situation. You said that Kin's assault counted as a war act! So wouldn't it apply?"

"Naruto…" Hiruzen said, gently massaging his temples. "I have the feeling you don't quite understand this law. Against my better judgement, I should probably explain it to you better. The War Spoils Act was instituted right after the 2nd great war as a way to discourage revenge killings. If, for example, a hostile ninja were to attack you and you not only survived but managed to subdue them in a non-lethal manner you would legally be entitled to all of their possessions, as well as the person themselves. This law was accepted across all of the nations as a form of legal slavery. Many found the practice distasteful though and would give their would-be assassins a clean death. Eventually, the 3rd great war began and no one spared the law any mind so it fell out of the public knowledge. It is also not taught in schools because greedy Genin would then try to subdue enemy ninja, instead of kill them. This would, naturally, lead to increased Genin casualties. Ninja of any village aren't informed of the Act until they reach Chunin, even if the law applies to those of any rank."

"S-So… What you're saying is… If I try to invoke this law to save that sound girl's life…" Naruto began.

"You would, in essence, be binding her to a lifetime of slavery in your service." Hiruzen finished.

Naruto thought about it, really thought about it. Both sides of the equation were horribly wrong. But which one less so? His internal debate raged on for many minutes, until he reached a decision. "Jiji… No… Lord Hokage." Naruto began, his speech turning formal as he looked his surrogate grandfather in the eye. "How do I go about properly invoking this law?"

Hiruzen sighed deeply, and a bit sadly. He knew that Naruto would choose the option that would save the girl's life. He was just that way. "You already invoked the law by stating your intentions to your Kage. Now, you fill out the paperwork and then just pick her up. You will be granted certain things to help keep her in line which will be presented to you upon her retrieval." Hiruzen turned his sad eyes towards Naruto. "Naruto… I'm sorry that this had to be the way to free her. I can't pretend to know your feelings. All I can do is promise to keep the council off of your back. I imagine they won't be happy when they hear about this."

Naruto smiled up at Hiruzen sadly. "Thanks jiji. I-I'm glad that you're allowing this."

Hiruzen chuckled a bit. "It's to save the life of a young woman. I've grown wise enough to see that life is a precious thing indeed, even if I deal in so much bloodshed. Go rest Naruto. I shall have one of my assistants drop the paperwork off for you later today."

The two shared a handshake and a familial hug before parting ways, though Naruto paused in the doorway as Hiruzen let out a parting shot, this one laced with amusement.

"One last thing Naruto, about the War Spoils Act." Hiruzen called out, chuckling. "The other reason that it fell so out of favor was because the amount of paperwork that needed to be filled out was often taller than the shinobi who invoked the act!"

Naruto hung his head and groaned in upcoming misery as Hiruzen allowed the stress of the previous days melt away as he enjoyed his adoptive grandson's suffering.

**So this is what it's like being on the other side of the fence... For those of you who have followed/favorited this story and/or me, you would know that it's been almost a year since I last updated. I... Have no excuse. I started on a Fullmetal Alchemist fic, and a lot went into that plus some RL issues. Again, no excuse and I apologize. Anyways, the long-awaited fourth chapter. The War Spoils Act was inspired by NBH by chilord. Read it. Great story, great writer. Clever cogs might have noticed that I've been hinting at a NarutoxTenten relationship. They would be correct. My idea for Kin to be bound to Naruto came out of left field and stuck. To those who may wonder, this will NOT be a harem fic. I love reading them, but writing them sends a shiver down my spine. I've... Said all I really want to I guess. Flamers, I would love to here from you. Those offering honest criticism, I would love to hear from you more. Please read and review. Speaking of, though they're a bit late, here are some review responses.**

** Melted Flower: Any ideas I use will be my own, but let's just say that we think a bit alike and leave it at that.**

** GoldenPiggy: This chapter should already explain what I intend to do with Kin. If you have more questions, please privately PM me. As for Inner Sakura, it's been proven in both manga and anime that Sakura has an inner personality. While it seems to have disappeared in Shippuden, it greatly reminds me of multiple personality disorder. Which is what I'm going to go with.**

** Random Person: Well, it's a longer chapter. Sorry for the wait.**

** Plasma57: How'd you get into my notes?! (Kidding. But seriously, good guess. Like I said, including Kin was NOT part of my original idea.)**

**Jutsu List:**

**Shunshin - Body Flicker technique**

**Jiton - Not a jutsu. It's a magnetic release bloodline.**

**One last thing before I sign off. Reviewing previous chapters, I noticed a plot hole in Chapter 2. I fixed it and it's nothing major, but feel free to re-read ot of you want.**

**LordTicky, out.**


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